Lithuanian politicians taken to shelters after Belarus airspace violation alarm
Media reports stated that Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas and Parliament Speaker Saulius Skvernelis were taken to safety as a precaution while the situation was being investigated.
Lithuania's President Gitanas Nausėda is currently on a foreign trip in Ireland.
Authorities were initially concerned that the unidentified flying object could be an Iranian-made Shahed drone of the type used by Russia in ongoing air strikes on Ukraine, the BNS news agency reported.
The Lithuanian army confirmed in a post on Facebook that the object was detected at 11:30 am local time (10:30 am CEST).
Fighter jets that were already in the air as part of the NATO Baltic Air Policing (BAP) mission were scrambled to respond to the incident when the object fell to the ground around 1 kilometre from the border with Belarus.
A closer investigation revealed that the object was an unmanned, makeshift plane reportedly made of plywood and foam, and it did not pose any danger.
The Lithuanian State Border Guard Service (VSAT) said it had often recorded cases of attempts to transport contraband cigarettes from Belarus into Lithuania using balloons or makeshift drones. — Euronews
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
Macron-Merz to hold talks over NATO, EU-US trade row
French President Emmanuel Macron is to meet German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin on Wednesday to discuss NATO security, the US-EU trade row and other key issues. Macron and Merz, who took power in May, have been at pains to boost the bilateral partnership at the heart of the European Union as US President Donald Trump has rocked transatlantic ties. 'The most important message is: the Franco-German couple is back at work,' the French presidency said ahead of Macron's planned dinner with Merz. Paris and Berlin, along with London and Warsaw, have pushed efforts to support Ukraine against Russia and build up the defense capabilities of NATO's European member states. But while Paris has signaled a willingness to send peacekeeping troops to monitor a possible Ukraine ceasefire, Berlin has so far voiced no plans to contribute. Merz and Macron were also expected to discuss the trade dispute with the United States after Trump threatened 30-percent tariffs against the EU if no deal is reached by August 1. Combat jet discord 'In the tariff dispute with the USA, we are now approaching the decisive phase,' Merz said Tuesday, urging 'a fair and reliable agreement with low tariff rates' that strengthens the transatlantic market. The two leaders also have to discuss bilateral stumbling blocks, from a joint defense project to energy and trade policy. There has been disagreement over a combat aircraft to be made jointly with Spain. Merz has objected to the idea of a greater leadership role for France while expressing confidence an agreement can be reached. The head of French defense company Dassault, Eric Trappier, on Tuesday suggested that the viability of the project was in doubt. 'We have to question the effectiveness of a project which is run by three countries ... where there isn't one real leader but three,' he told a press conference. Another tricky area is energy, where France relies heavily on nuclear power, which Germany has decided to phase out as it shifts to solar and wind power. Paris wants Berlin to commit to 'technology neutrality' and effectively classify nuclear energy as climate friendly. Germany's previous government of the Social Democrats and Greens rejected this, but Merz's center-right CDU/CSU may be more open to the idea. In a joint newspaper article in May, both leaders pledged a 'restart in energy policy' and 'equal treatment at the EU level for all low-emission energies'. Another area of discord has been an EU trade deal long in the works with South America's Mercosur bloc. While Germany strongly favors it, France has expressed fears it will badly impact its farming sector. French sources said a way forward is emerging, and that an additional protocol could add a 'robust safeguard clause for agriculture'. Merz will welcome Macron at 6:30 pm (1630 GMT) at Villa Borsig, the former residence of the commander of the post-war French occupation troops on the outskirts of Berlin. The program includes press statements, without journalists' questions, a jazz performance and a working dinner.
Saudi Gazette
18 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
Donald Trump warns that US could strike Iran's nuclear sites again 'if necessary'
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has warned that the United States could strike Iran's nuclear sites again "if necessary." Trump issued the warning in a social media post on Monday evening after Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Fox News that Tehran cannot give up its nuclear enrichment programme, even though it was damaged in US bombings last month. "It is stopped because, yes, damages are serious and severe. But obviously, we cannot give up on enrichment because it is an achievement of our own scientists. And now, more than that, it is a question of national pride," Araghchi said. On his Truth Social platform, Trump referenced Araghchi's comments about the nuclear sites being severely damaged and said: "Of course they are, just like I said, and we will do it again, if necessary!" The US strikes on 22 June hit three Iranian nuclear enrichment sites — Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan — during Israel's 12-day conflict with Iran. Days after a US-brokered ceasefire was announced, Trump claimed that Washington's strikes had "completely and fully obliterated" Iran's nuclear Trump's claim was called into question when a subsequent US intelligence report found that Iran's nuclear programme had only been set back a few White House firmly pushed back on the assessment, calling it "flat-out wrong".Trump's social media post followed an announcement by Iran on Monday that it would hold renewed talks on Friday with European nations over its nuclear meeting in Istanbul will be the first since the Israel-Iran ceasefire was reached late last month, and follows similar discussions in the Turkish city in talks will bring Iranian officials together with counterparts from the UK, France and Germany — known as the E3 nations — and the European Union's foreign policy chief."The topic of the talks is clear, lifting sanctions and issues related to the peaceful nuclear program of Iran," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said on a 2015 deal designed to limit Iran's nuclear activities, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Tehran agreed to tough restrictions on its nuclear program in exchange for an easing of international deal began to unravel in 2018, when the US pulled out and started to reintroduce certain nations have recently threatened to trigger the 2015 deal's "snapback" mechanism, which would allow sanctions to be reimposed in the case of non-compliance by has gradually increased its nuclear activities, including enriching uranium up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN's nuclear denies allegations that it is seeking a nuclear weapon and has long said its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only. — Euronews
Leaders
21 hours ago
- Leaders
Iran Had No Intension to Give up on Nuclear Enrichment
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that Iran had no intention to give up on its nuclear enrichment program despite the severe damage it suffered during the 12-day war with Israel and the US, according to Reuters. Araqchi also noted that the US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities caused serious damage that halted Iran's uranium enrichment capabilities for the time being. 'Our facilities have been damaged – seriously damaged,' he said in an interview with the Fox News show 'Special Report with Bret Baier,' set to air in full later on Monday. However, Iran obviously cannot give up on enrichment because it is an achievement of its own scientists. 'And now, more than that, it is a question of national pride,' Araqchi added. Western powers have long accused Tehran of secretly enriching uranium for the sake of nuclear weapons. On June 13, Israel launched a wave of airstrikes on Iran under the name of Operation Rising Lion. The military campaign targeted Iran's nuclear facilities and killed top military commanders and nuclear scientists in an attempt to eliminate Iran's nuclear program. As a response, Iran launched a retaliatory wave of missiles against Israel and targeted Tel Aviv. The US became directly involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran on June 22 after launching airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan. Crucially, Israel announced that it was hit by over 50 missiles during the 12-day war with Iran, resulting in 28 deaths. However, the real extent of the damage may never be known because of media restrictions. The Israeli airstrikes on Iran killed at least 1000 people and injured approximately 4,900. Related Topics: Putin Holds Nuclear Talks with Iran's Top Adviser Larijani Iran Rebuilds Air Defense Systems After Clash with Israel 5.1-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Northern Iran Short link : Post Views: 60
